Poria Incrassata Facts ©

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Have you seen this in or around your home?

This is something that may suddenly appear, principally,  during the months of May or November, and is an indication that the wood frame of your residence is being under attack by the water conducting fungus
Meruliporia (Poria) incrassata.

Poria incrassata is a wood-destroying decay fungus that may damage extensive portions of your house before making its presence known by generating the fruiting bodies shown above.

Poria incrassata IS NOT A MOLD!   Mold are fungi which grow on and discolor wood, but do not destroy it or use its cell walls as food.

Within a few hours after the fruiting bodies reach the bright orange coloration, millions of reddish brown spores will be expelled covering most of the horizontal surfaces within the vicinity of the activity.

While Poria incrassata may also expel a very strong mushroom odor, neither the smell nor the spores have been documented to cause illness to humans.

Injuries have been sustained in a few occasions when, due to the extensive damage caused by the infection, the floor suddenly collapses under the weight of a foot.

Crumbling, cupping or shrinking sections of hardwood floors, sections of door jambs, baseboards or cabinets in areas free of obvious sources of moisture often are a clear indication of the presence of Poria incrassata.   Extensive cupping of hardwood floors is covered in another section of this web page as that may be related to a different problem.

The presence of flying moths could also serve as an indication of the presence of Poria incrassata as the larvae of the Fungus Moth feeds off of this infection and in many cases they start appearing in the living quarters before any of the other conditions become noticeable.

Proper diagnosis of the type of infection is critical, as chemical treatment will not stop Poria from continuing its attack to the wood structure unless specific repairs are performed.

When looking for the source of water feeding the Poria infection, look down not up.  Repairs will fail if you believe the water is coming from the roof, plumbing, or window leaks or from wetting by the sprinklers.  If you open the wall and find water dripping from the top plates, this is water that Poria has managed to draw in from your garden or from your septic tank.

Poria Facts

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